No One Said This Would Be Easy
by BananaPuddingIsMyFriend
Summary: After a long and dreadful four years of high school, Lucy is finally off to follow her dream: photographing all of the world. Well, sort of. London's just the beginning. Or is it? AmazingPhil! Danisnotonfire!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the day of graduation. Finally. My blue robe stuck to me like a koala to a tree. I sat in the fourth row of chairs, and considering my surname started with an S, I was seated between Joey Schubert and Mike Tesla. I was pretty sure Tesla had a case of rancid B.O., but our chairs were seated so closely, that I was forced to take in the scent. There was no escaping all of this. Just sitting and waiting. For two hours. I know it's a formality for the valedictorian to give a speech at graduation, but this year, we had eight of them. Eight. Time dragged as all eight read their three-page papers in retrospect of their high school years. Then of course my principal droned on forever.

Then finally, we were standing to make our way towards the stage to receive our diplomas. I could feel the sweat trickling down the back of my neck. Despite the air conditioners and the forty fans blowing, our gymnasium was blazing hot. I shifted uncomfortably in line as I waited anxiously to be officially graduated.

"Lucille Ophelia Streicher." I carefully stepped up onto the stage, taking my diploma and shaking the clammy hand of my principal and several other old men. On my way off stage, I tumbled down the stairs. Everyone laughed, and I brushed myself off, blushing crimson red.

After about four more speeches, my principal finally cleared his throat and announced, "Everyone, I present to you...Ardsdale Class of 2012." The entire audience erupted with applause, and my senior class revealed their air horns and various hues of silly string. One boy, Sheldon, had even brought a giant bowl of macaroni and cheese, catapulting the cheesy noodles at his fellow classmates. I managed to escape the chaos and make my way over to my family.

"Oh sweetie! I'm so proud of you!" My mom pulled me into a tight hug, sobbing into my shoulder.

I patted her back. "It's okay mom."

She pulled back and looked at me, brushing a jet black curl out of my face. "I know. It's just...you're all grown up now! I can't believe it."

"Lulu!" I turned to see my dad, wrapping my arms around his middle. "I'm so very proud of you, Lu. You looked beautiful up there."

I pulled back, looking skeptically at him. "Dad, I tripped and fell in front of everyone."

"But you handled it well."

I smiled, spotting my brother behind my dad.

My brother's name was Drew. He was eleven, and the doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer at age three. He was only supposed to live for six months. He was our little miracle child. Sadly, though, he had to drag around a tank of oxygen with him, cannulas constantly in his nose. Some people saw him as weak, but to me, he was the strongest person alive.

"Drew!" I gently wrapped him in my arms.

"Lucy! Some of my friends are here!"

I giggled letting him go and mussing his shaggy wig. "You know you love me."

"So, you leave for England tonight?"

"Mhm. That's right."

"Does this mean I get full access to your room?"

I laughed at this. "Oh, you're cute, Drew."

He huffed, crossing his arms.

"How's about we celebrate and go for ice cream?" my dad suggested.

We all agreed and headed to the closest ice cream parlor.

I sat in my dimly lit room, packing the last few things for my voyage to London. Essentials? Check. Ticket? Check. Chocolate? Check. Money for a year's rent? Check. Laptop? Double check. Camera? Gazillion check. I tinkered with a watch, trying to set it to English time whilst watching yet another AmazingPhil video.

"I just made the AOL posh lady call me Poodeep."

I fell into a fit of laughter. Little Phil was so hilarious! Who am I kidding? _Older_ Phil was so hilarious! His videos never failed to make me smile. And in less than a day, I'd be in the same town as him. What if I ran into him in the market or something? I'd probably not be able to speak at all.

"Honey, are you almost ready to leave?" I heard my mom shout from downstairs.

"Yeah!" I yelled back. "Be there in a minute!" I gathered my suitcase, jacket and lion pillow pet and headed to my brother's room.

When I stepped in, I found him lying in bed, snoring softly, and wheezing slightly. I didn't have the heart to wake him up, so instead, I kissed his forehead gently.

I made my way down the stairs to find my dad sitting on the sofa. He turned and looked at me, pausing his recorded ball game. "I'm gonna miss you sweetie."

I stepped towards him, hugging him tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, too," I mumbled into his shoulder. He kissed my cheek and I was out of the door and to the car.

In the car, I found my mom sipping a cup of tea. I slipped into my seat, buckling my seatbelt.

"Tea? At nine at night?"

"Yolo."

"Oh my gosh, mom."

"What?"

"Please...just never again..."

She giggled. "I bet you'll be drinking a lot of this stuff in London."

"Mom, that's so stereotypical!"

"No, it's true! Doesn't that Magnificent Phil boy like tea?"

"AmazingPhil. And yeah. So?"

"See I told you! Lots of tea." She took another sip, nodding her head.

I just shook my head. "You are such a dork."

"Oh, you like it!"

The rest of the ride to the airport was spent blaring Bohemian Rhapsody and belting out every lyric and instrument sound.

As we pulled up to the airport, fear suddenly crept up my throat, ceasing my singing.

Mom turned the music down. "You alright, hon?"

"Yeah. Just a little nervous."

"That's understandable. But your flight leaves in half an hour, so you should probably get going." She hugged me and kissed my forehead. "I love you, sweetie."

"I love you, too."

"Make sure to call when you get there."

"I will."

I gathered my things, clutching my lion for dear life.

Goodbye New York City. Hello London.

A/N: Another Phil story! Yay! Tell me whatcha think! Just type out a review in that conveniently placed box below. (:


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Pass me my ointment, Earl!"

"Quit yappin', woman!"

"But my wart is actin' up again!"

"Cain't you see I'm try'na enjoy my flight to London?"

Unfortunately, I was stuck in a predicament much like Josh's from Drake and Josh Go Hollywood. The couple suffocating me were both quite large and smelled heavily of grease and smoke. I presently had my eyes closed, attempting to sleep away the problem.

"Hey, you! Violet-haired girl!"

My eyes snapped open, focusing on the grotesque woman beside me. "Y-yes ma'am?"

"D'you think this wart looks infected?" She shoved her bare foot into my face, and I nearly hurled.

I took a deep breath, controlling the churning in my stomach. "Um...yes?"

"See! I told ya, Earl!"

"You didn't tell me nothin', Miriam!"

I once again closed my eyes, praying sleep would find me, and soon.

It was, of course, raining when we arrived at the airport in London, so I hurried in as fast as I could, praying I wouldn't get soaked.

Once inside, I searched for the luggage carousel. there was quite a crowd, so I decided to hang back a little and let the chaos clear out a little. I shivered at the air conditioning blasting throughout the airport, feeling a little sickly as I sniffled. Jet lag plus cold rain equals icky feeling. I gathered my damp hair into a messy bun, finally gaining the courage to step into the crowd. It hadn't died down, so I just submerged myself into the craziness.

I immediately regretted the decision. The close proximity of about fifty other people was suffocating me. I absolutely hated crowds, and this was doing me no favors.

I spotted my bag on the carousel and I attempted to push my way through the people to grab it, but to no avail. It was like being entangled in a sticker bush. It circled around multiple times, and again and again, I tried fighting my way through the brick wall. After about five attempts, a tall young man pushed his way through the crowd effortlessly and shouting, "Clear the way! Clear the way! On important business here, people!" in a British accent. He snatched up my bag and handed it to me. "Your bag, m'lady." He bowed awkwardly, and I hurriedly left the crowd as did he.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Carousel crowds can be ruthless. Ya just gotta show 'em who's boss." He winked at me.

I knew that wink. "You're Dan Howell."

He seemed a bit surprised, laughing nervously. "So I am. And you would be?"

"Lucy." I held my hand out for him to shake, and he again looked extremely surprised. "What?"

"Nothing. You're very reserved. I like it. Much more than, 'OMG! Dan Howell! You're freaking gorgeous!" He did a perfect teenage girl impression, sending me into a fit of laughter.

"I can't believe I'm actually meeting you. I absolutely love you and Phil." I smiled widely, then frowned. "Wait...that's not creepy is it?"

He chuckled at this. "No. It's sweet. It's a pleasure meeting you as well."

I shivered, and I guess he took notice, because he then asked me, "Want to go for some coffee? I know it's summer and all, but rain and airport air conditioning can really freeze you out."

I smiled. "Sure."

So, we made our way to a local Starbucks and took our place in line. I took a deep breath in, savoring the fresh brewed scent of flavored coffee. Dan ordered two caramel lattes and we took a seat in a cozy booth in the corner.

"So, Miss Lucy, what brings you to good old rainy London?"

I pulled out my camera and held it up for him to see. "I'm really into photography, and it's always been my dream to travel the world and capture it all. London is just the first stop."

"Really? That's awesome! How long are you due to stay here?"

"I've saved up enough for a full year's rent."

His eyed got wide at this. "Seriously? That much? You must've saved all your life."

"Ever since I was seven. Extra birthday money, job money left over after paying for the necessities, Christmas money, every penny I could save, I did."

"That's insane. If I had that much money, I'd probably buy my weight in Maltesers."

I laughed. "It's taken a lot of discipline, but it was totally worth it. I actually made it here, which is almost unfathomable to me."

"I admire your dedication."

I smiled at his compliment and was about to thank him when I heard the Llama Song echoing through the shop. Dan took out his cell phone and ceased the ringing.

"Shoot! I've got a live show in ten minutes that I promised to do! I'd love to chat longer, but I really hafta go. Where are you staying? I could take you there."

I told him the exact building and number, and he replied excitedly, "I live there too! Like right across the walkway from you! That's perfect. Come on then."

We stepped outside, and he hailed a taxi. The cab pulled over and we hopped in, Dan telling him the destination. The taxi pulled away from the curb and sped down the street.

"Your first English cab. Are you excited?" But I was already taking pictures of the rainy city, and he chuckled at me.

The cab finally pulled up to the apartment building and we hurried inside and up to our floor.

I twisted the knob on the door, but I found that it was locked. Dan noticed this and invited me into his apartment.

"Sorry," I apologized as I stepped in. "My landlord was supposed to have it unlocked. i guess I'll just hafta call him."

"It's totally fine. Just stay here in the meantime. Phil will keep you company." He pointed to the ebony-haired boy playing Mario Kart upside down on the sofa.

"Wha?" the boy asked, tumbling over in the process of trying to see me. He stood up and brushed himself off, his eyes growing wide as he caught mine. I smiled a friendly smile, but he didn't respond.

"Be nice to her, Phil. This is Lucy. She's a new friend. She'll be living in the flat across the walkway, so make nice, okay?" Phil nodded and Dan looked at me apologetically.

"It's cool. Go do your live show."

He smiled at me and left me alone in the room.

With Phil.

Oh dear Lord.

A/N: Whoo! New chapter! What didja think? Let me know! All constructive criticism is welcome. (:


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dan fled the room, leaving me standing in the middle of his front room, shivering and drenched. I wrapped my arms around my middle,trying to both warm myself and hide myself from my Youtube idol. I looked everywhere but at him for fear of staring.

"Uh, hi." Phil started, waving awkwardly at me.

"Hi," I said nervously. I did not do confrontation well. It'd been a miracle that I'd even hit it off with Dan. There was no way I'd be able to get through this conversation with the dork sitting awkwardly on the couch.

"I'm Phil."

"Lucy."

"So Dan said."

It grew silent again, and my eyes found the floor again. The silence was almost unbearable, but I had no idea how to break it without making a fool of myself.

"It'll probably help if you changed into dry clothes," Phil stated, gesturing at my soaked clothing. "You can use the bathroom down the hall if you want."

I unzipped my suitcase, pulling out some dry clothes and heading down the hall to the bathroom. Shutting the bathroom door, I sighed. Why can't I just talk to people? I could do it with Dan. But Dan wasn't Phil, the boy I'd fantasized over for his whole six years of vlogging. And somehow, I was reacting exactly like the opposite of a fangirl. Could I be anymore introverted? I punched my dry pile of clothes in frustration, then replaced my saturated set with the previously stated pile. Looking into the mirror, I attempted to pull my hair back into a less messy ponytail. I then returned to the front room, stuffing my wet clothes in my carry-on bag.

"Better?"

I nodded.

Phil smiled dorkily. "Oh! Hey! That's my shirt!" He pointed a finger at the AmazingPhil shirt I was wearing. "Cool! So, you watch me?"

I nodded.

"Awesome! Sometimes, I can't believe that anyone watches my insane life. I'm assuming you like my videos then?"

I nodded. After all, I'd favorited every single last one of them.

He beamed brightly. "I feel so honored to have someone who enjoys my videos in my flat."

I looked down at the ground.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

I didn't feel like explaining my social awkwardness for fear of sounding even more awkward by doing so, so I shook my head no.

"It's okay. I'm really shy, too. I absolutely hate confrontation."

I looked up at him, fixating my eyes on his. Those light blue eyes. Lord help me.

He leaned closer to my face, scrunching up his own in a thinking manner. "Your eyes are really cool. I hope that's not creepy."

I laughed at this.

"Aha!" He pointed at me, smiling triumphantly. "A laugh! I win! Cake for all!"

A bright, video gamey sound emitted from the television, and I turned to it. I hadn't played Mario Kart in ages, and I longed to play it.

I guess he saw the way I looked at, because he offered, "Do you want to race me?"

I turned to him smiling and grabbing a controller. I selected my signature Princess Peach and he picked Luigi. We agreed on the frozen ice track and began our race.

I left that poor boy in the dust. He demanded rematch after rematch, and I triumphed again and again. After my eighth win, he finally accepted defeat for the moment.

"How do you even do that purple-haired girl?"

I touched my hair subconsciously, realizing he probably totally thought my hair was freaky. I frowned and shrugged.

"Well, I don't think it's quite fair."

I smiled at him, attempting to look innocent, but probably looking like a wet puppy.

Looking at me more intently, he asked, "Who are you, purple-haired girl?"

I just smiled and shrugged.

Dan re-entered the room. "Hey Lucy. Phil treating you right?"

"Mhm. I guess," I said teasingly.

"Well, I've called the landlord, and your flat is now unlocked, so if you'd like to get settled in..."

"Okay. Thank you." I smiled, grateful for the sweet gesture. I grabbed my suitcase and carry-on, making my way out the door.

"Wait...what about a rematch?" Phil asked.

I looked over my shoulder at him, smiling.

"What? You'll talk to Dan and not me? Not fair!" I walked out the door without answering him. By this time, I was comfortable to have a regular conversation with him, but toying with him was priceless.

Why not act a little mysterious and have some fun?

I hear guys like that.

A/N: Short chapter! I apologize for that. But Lucy...how evil! Haha. Tell me whatcha thought in that convenient little box below. (:


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was six in the morning, and I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep the night before. I was never able to sleep the first night at a new place. On the bright side, my bag was completely unpacked and my room completely organized. I pinned one last photo on my wall, a picture I had taken of Drew on his sixth birthday. He had just started intensive chemotherapy and tufts of his chocolate hair had begun to fall out. Five years ago. Back when he had so much longer to live..

My head needed to be cleared. I grabbed a clean set of clothes and hopped into the shower. I let my worries swirl down the drain, and blew my thoughts away with the hair dryer.

...what the heck? Am I a freaking poet now or something?

Instead of indulging in the art of written word, I resorted to my beloved camera.I slipped some pink Toms on and left my apartment, camera slung around my neck.

Once outside the door, I bumped into a tall, slender, well-dressed boy.

"Morning Dan."

"Oh, hi Lucy." He waved and smiled sleepily at me. "Off to snap more photos?" He gestured towards my camera.

"Mhm. I wanna catch my first sunrise in the UK."

"Cool! I was actually going to go for a walk. Couldn't sleep. Want a tour guide?"

"Sure."

"Alright, m'lady. Right this way to explore London!" He offered his arm to me, I took it, and we headed into town.

"Here is the pavement," Dan gestured towards the ground, "or as you Americans like to call it, a sidewalk." He stretched out his vowels ridiculously, trying to sound American and failing terribly.

I swatted at his arm, laughing. "We don't sound like that."

He stopped, jutting his hip out and putting his hands on his waist. "I'm Lucy. I'm American, and I have purple hair. I also enjoy photographing the beauty of this world."

"I don't sound like a valley girl!"

He chuckled. "Do I get a sticker for effort?"

I pondered this suggestion. "Maybe. Depends on your behavior for the rest of the day."

He crossed his heart, looking at me innocently as if promising to be good.

We traveled to the London Eye, and although the sunrise was covered up by stormclouds, I got some pretty awesome pictures of the famous ferris wheel. I also snapped some not-so-awesome picture of Dan being a dork.

"Would you get out of my shot, you nuisance!"

"Oh, of course," he'd say every time, then at the last minute, he'd jump in and make a stupid face. This earned him plenty of glares.

After he tired of ruining my pictures, he finally took a seat on a bench, waiting patiently for me to finish.

"Hey," he spoke up. "Wanna go to Shakeaway?"

I look at him confused. "What's that?"

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You honestly don't know?"

"Isn't it like that weight you shake to get all toned?"

He rolled his eyes, grabbing my wrist and tugging me along. "We're going to Shakeaway."

I succumbed to his wishes, and he dragged me down the street all the way into a brightly-colored store with literally hundreds of candies lining the walls. My eyes widened as I asked, "Is this real life?"

He chuckled. "Mhm. And you can pick any two sweets you want."

I patted my pockets. "My wallets at home."

"No worries. I'll pay."

"No, no it's fine. I'm not that thirsty anyways." I hated people paying for me.

"Seriously, it's fine. I'm paying for you." He handed the cashier the approximate amount. "Now pick."

I sighed. "Okay. How about...Oreo and Dime?"

He laughed quietly to himself. "Okay, Phil..."

He ordered my Oreo and Dime and got a Maltesers and banana for himself, and we took a seat in a booth by the window.

He stared intently at me, smirking.

"What?"

"I want to see your face when you take your first sip."

"Uh...it's just a milkshake."

"Just take a sip."

I eyed him weirdly and took a small sip of my milkshake. My eyes widened, and I took a larger gulp.

"Oh my gosh...it's magnificent! It's like...ponies prancing around a chocolatey field under cotton candy skies!"

"Isn't it!"

I sucked happily on my milkshake, and halfway through my delicious confection, Dan spoke up.

"Y'know, that's almost exactly how Phil described his milkshake the first time he tried an Oreo and Dime one."

I continued slurping my shake, cocking a brow at him.

"Actually, now that we're on the topic of him..." he scooted closer to me, asking excitedly, "are you interested in him?"

I choked on my shake. "Phil? I barely know him."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh c'mon. We all saw your shirt yesterday. We know you watch his videos."

"So? That doesn't mean I really know him. I can't like him."

"I just asked if you were interested."

I lied and went with a, "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okaaaaaaayyy..." he just smiled like he knew something I didn't. I stuck my tongue out at him.

He practically had to drag me out of the store when he decided he wanted to visit the mall.

"You could've told me we'd be buying stuff! I would've brought money."

We stepped into the monument of a mall. "You don't have to go to a mall with the intention of buying something."

"But I'm a girl! And this is freaking England!"

"Just, c'mooooooon."

Escalators and brightly colored stores surrounded us. All different genres of music floated through air from different kinds of stores. The faint scent of pretzels and sandwiches filled the air.

Dan dragged me into a store simply labeled Game. Guess what they sold?

Yep. Video games.

And I was pretty amazed.

"Pretty awesome, huh?"

I nodded my head. I was a gamer. Not an extreme play-24/7 kind of gamer, but I loved video games. I picked up an old copy of Oblivion. At home, I'd torn this game up within a month. If there was one game I could play for forever, it would be this one. A longing to play it suddenly entered my mind, but I realized that, for one, I had no money, ad secondly, I had no game console. I mentally facepalmed myself. Why in the world had I not thought to bring my Playstation?

"Lucy?" Dan waved his hand in front of my face. "You there?"

"Huh? Oh, yep. What's up?"

He smiled. "I have a copy of Oblivion at home. You can play it if ya want."

My eyes lit up. "Really?"

He nodded his head. "I've got Black Ops II on pre-order, so let's leave before I purchase a million games. I don't have the money for that."

I chuckled, and we left the store, exploring many more throughout the day. I could definitely get used to this mall.

We exited the mall as the sun was setting, and I stopped every now and then to snap photos of the wonder. I capture an amazing snapshot of the sun setting behind an office building. Wait 'til Drew saw this.

Successful day? Definitely.

A/N: Yay! Looks like Lucy's pretty comfortable with Dan. Good friendship is being built. (: Tell me whatcha guys thought! I accept all input. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I yawned as I pulled on an oversized Panic! t-shirt and purple knee socks. My hair was styled in a messy bun, and I was nearly ready for a bed. A ding sounded from my laptop and I stepped over to it. I accepted the chat request and sat cross-legged in front of the computer. "Hey Drew."

"Hey Luce! How are you?"

"Extremely tired, but in awe. This place is beautiful. You should've seen the sunset."

"I wish I could've."

I smiled sadly at my brother. "I wish you were here."

"Oh believe me. I wish I could be there, too. Treatment is torture."

I frowned. "I know you hate hospitals, but they're just trying to help you. You need to let them help you."

Drew sighed. "I know. It's just so uncomfortable. I'd much rather be exploring all of England with you."

I laughed. "Not all of England. Just London. But I promise you that as soon as you get the all-clear, we're going to Scotland together. Okay?"

He cocked a brow at me. "You really think I'll make it that long."

"Oh shush, you! Don't talk so negatively. We're going to Scotland, okay?"

"Alright then," he responded. "If you say so."

I smiled. "Okay, so how's school?"

"I made an A on my first science test."

"Whoo! Go Drew! Web cam five!" I stuck my hand up by the screen and he looked at me strangely.

"Uh..."

"Oh, just high five me!"

Confused, he did so, and I grinned.

"Have you gotten dorkier? Who've you been hanging out with?"

"Dan a lot, lately. I'm not too close with Phil though. It's really hard for me to talk to him for some reason."

"Dan and Phil!"

I gasped. "Oh my gosh! I haven't told you yet! You know those two British boys I watch on Youtube?"

"Oh yeah! Danisnotonfire and...Amazing...Phil...you met them?!"

I nodded. "They live right across the hall from me."

"So unfair!"

An idea popped into my mind. "Wanna meet them? I know how much you love them."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Sure!"

"Okay, hold on a sec." I picked up my laptop and made my way across the hall, knocking on the door.

A sleepy Dan answered the door. "Hey Lucy. What's up?"

"Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure."

I stepped inside the apartment and sat down at the kitchen table, setting the laptop down. I motioned for Dan o step in front of the computer. "Dan, this is Drew, my little brother. Drew, Dan."

"Hey man." Dan waved lethargically at my brother.

"...my sister didn't wake you up, did she?"

"Nah. Just a long day, that's all."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Lucy's like obsessed with your videos, and she shows them to me all the time." I blushed at this. "You're very inspirational."

"Why, thank you." Dan smiled sincerely at Drew. "You're wise beyond your years, aren't you?"

Drew nodded.

"I know how that can be. It's a gift to have, but kids can be mean, yeah?"

Drew looked down sadly. "These tubes don't help much either.."

"Hey." Drew looked up. "Don't let anything hold you back. Not jerks, not a breathing machine, not even a sickness. You can overcome anything. Don't let anyone tell you you can't, okay?"

Drew smiled. "Thank you."

Phil walked in, asking, "Dan, are we out of cereal? Oh. Who's this."

"This is Drew, Lucy's little brother."

Phil waved animatedly. "Hi Drew! It's nice to meet you!"

"You too!" I hadn't Drew smile this big since the night we stargazed out at the beach two summers ago.

"Sickness trying to kick your butt?"

"Yeah...but I'm not letting it get me down."

Phil smiled. "That's the attitude to have. You can overcome anything. Actually, I..." Phil stopped, looking at us. "Would it be okay if I talked to him alone. I looked to Dan and he shrugged his shoulders. "Sure." Phil took a seat at the table, and Dan and I made our way into his room. I took a seat on his bed, and he sat down on the floor.

It was silent for a good five minutes before Dan spoke up. "What does he have?"

"NSCLC. Non-small cell lung cancer. They diagnosed him with it when he was five and a half."

"How'd it happen?"

"Back then, my mother was still working in an office from 8 to 8 every week day. I had school, then gymnastics every day, and I never got home before 7. My dad had been out of the country on business, and he wasn't due back for two months, so my mom decided she'd have to find a babysitter for Drew after school. She ended up calling Mrs. Frailey, and she agreed to watch Drew during the week. Mrs. Frailey had a very old house, and so her ceilings were made of asbestos." I paused, taking a shaky breath. "One week day, a Wednesday, my mom picked Drew up, and during the entire ride home, he kept repeating, "I an ouchie, I an ouchie." We just figured he'd fallen and scraped up his knee or something. But as soon we stepped out of the car, Drew started coughing. And coughing. And coughing. He couldn't stop, and he ended up coughing up blood. My mother raced him to the hospital, and they ran tests for hours. They finally diagnosed him with NSCLC, said he'd inhaled asbestos." I turned to Dan. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy."

"It's okay. He's not going to die. He's going to beat this. So don't worry." I stood up, exiting his room, eyes blurry from the tears threatening to spill. I kept my head down as I head towards the front door. I ran into a solid, and when I looked up, I saw Phil.

"Hey Lucy." He smiled, then that smile faded into a frown. "Are you okay?"

I tried to hold them back, but the hot tears spilled down my cheeks. Phil looked alarmed and pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. I allowed myself to let the tears out, whimpering into his chest. He rubbed my back, whispering, "It's okay. It's gonna be okay." I was extremely embarrassed, but I couldn't stop the sobs, so I just stood there and stained his shirt with my tears.

After what seemed like two million years, he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me to an unknown place. As he laid me down, I felt the warmth of my bed. "Get some rest," he whispered. "It helps. It always does." I heard a thump on the night stand, and the light flickered off. My door shut with a click, and I drifted off tearily.

A/N: Awh. Phil is too sweet. (: Even when he's not always necessarily welcomed by Lucy. That's a good guy right there. :D Let me know whatcha thought!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, so after forever of not updating, I figure you all deserve an explanation. This first semester has been soooooo packed, I've literally had no time to write. But it's almost Christmas break, and I'm back for more! I sincerely apologize, and I hope this makes up for it. 3

Chapter 6

The sunlight streamed through my windows, forcing my eyes to squint. I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands, looking around confused for a moment. Then I remembered. Drew. Dan. Phil. Oh, Phil.. I stood and made my way to the bathroom looking in the mirror. A puffy-eyed, paler version of me stared back. I sighed, walking back to my bed and grabbing my laptop.

As I opened the device, I found an email from my mom. Silly mom, using email.

_Hey sweetie! Drew said he got to talk to you tonight. I see that you've met your Youtube friends. What did I tell you? ;) I hope you're having lots of fun on this adventure. Your dad and I miss you so very much, and we can't wait to see you again! Call sometime? _

_Mom_

_Xoxo_

I chuckled at my mom's dorkiness, deciding that I'd answer her email later. I opened a new tab and logged in to my tumblr account. I was just about to upload a few of my pictures when I saw my little inbox icon light up. Confused but delighted, I opened the message.

_Amazingphil:_ _Hey! Drew said you had a tumblr account where you posted your photos so I thought I'd check it out. He was right. They're brilliant._

I blinked, refreshing the page to make sure I'd actually gotten the message in the first place. Yup. There it sat, an actual message from Phil Lester. Now, this wouldn't have been so surprising had I been closer to Phil, but close to him I was not. I clicked the reply button.

_Postcardsandpolaroids: Um, thank you. _

_ Amazingphil: Welcome! How long have you been photographing things?_

_ Postcardsandpolaroids: Um,about two years now._

_ Amazingphil: That's awesome. (:_

_ Postcardsandpolaroids: Um, thanks._

_ Amazingphil: Lol, you say um a lot. Anyways, question. So, my friend Chris is getting married in about three weeks, and they really need a photographer for the wedding. Would you be interested? He says he'll pay you 90 pounds for it._

90 pounds? That's nearly $150!

_Postcardsandpolaroids: Um, yeah sure. I'll just need some further information from him, like the location and time of the wedding._

_ Amazingphil: Okay, sounds great! I'll chat with him and then get back to you with the information!_

An actual photography session? And at a wedding? This was sure to be interesting.

I needed more practice…..

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

A/N: I know this is really short, but the next chapter should be super long and eventful. This chapter was definitely needed to keep things moving. Stick with me guys. I promise that I'll have the next chapter within this next week, probably less, so keep an eye out. Love you! 33


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Today was the day. Chris' wedding. I was extremely nervous, but nonetheless excited. As I got up out of bed, I plugged my iPod into its console and turned it up, blasting I Knew You Were Trouble. I searched through my closet to find clothes appropriate for a wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn't the girliest girl in the world, so I had next to nothing when it came to dress clothes. I mentally reprimanded myself for not purchasing clothes earlier. I checked my clock: 10 A.M. I had three hours until I had to be at the wedding. I threw on some black skinny jeans and a red and black plaid shirt before heading out to the mall.

I stepped through the front doors of the mall, the scent of flavored coffee and freshly made pretzels wafting through the air. I made my way through the relentless crowd to find myself at a dress shop. Stepping in, I found myself surround by dresses of all shapes, styles, and sizes. I'd instantly wished that I'd brought Dan along to help me, even though this was definitely not his type of thing. A plump, perky saleswoman in an almost-too-tight black slacks walked straight up to me, smiling brightly.

"Ello, dear! Anything I could help you with?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "Um, no thank you. I-"

"Oh, come now! What's the occasion?"

"I'm, uh, photographing a wedding."

"Oh! Yes, yes." She studied my figure and I blushed from all the attention. "Come with me. I think I've some dresses in mind." I followed the woman to the back of the store where she had me step into a dressing room. She picked up an extremely poofy, extremely pink dress, handing it to me and smiling. I reluctantly slipped the dress on, looking back at myself in the mirror. I looked absolutely ridiculous. For one, (and this might sound petty) the dress totally made me look heavier than I actually was. Secondly, it was awfully short and definitely not suited for photography. I pulled my jeans back on and handed the dress to the woman, shaking my head no.

This same cycle continued for the next hour and a half, pink dress after pink dress. Once I'd handed the twentieth bedazzled dress back to the woman, she finally seemed to get the idea that I was by no means into pink. After making this realization, she returned with a simpler black dress. It looked promising.

I slipped the black dress on with my back turned to the mirror. I feared what I'd see there. But I eventually opened my eyes, looking at my own reflection and….smiled.

The dress was simple yet sleek. It was just the right length and body shape. The sleeves fell just past my shoulders and a shiny gold belt wrapped around the waist. It was perfect. I slipped my regular clothes back on, purchasing the dress and heading back home.

Once home, I pulled my hair into a bun to fix my makeup, which honestly wasn't much. I then pulled my hair, which had begun to fade back to its natural chestnut color, up in a more elegant bun, leaving my bangs down and curling them. I slipped on the black dress and my black flats, checking my watch for the time. 1:30. I crossed the hall to knock on Dan's door. He opened it, first smiling, but then looking quite shocked. I blushed.

"What?"

"You're so….girly."

Oh, great. I probably looked ridiculous. I turned to leave and change, planning on curling up in my bed and sleeping for the rest of eternity, but Dan grabbed my wrist.

"I like it. It suits you." He smiled, and I smiled back. "Off to the wedding then, yes?" He offered me his arm.

"Isn't Phil coming?" I asked as I took it.

"Already there. Chris needed a mate to calm him down. Poor Phil. I hope he's doing alright."

And with that, we headed out of the building and to the wedding.

"And do you, Elizabeth Halsted, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

With tears in her eyes, the woman replied, "I do."

"And do you, Chris Kendall, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Barely audible, he whispered, "I do."

Snap.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You man now kiss the bride." And man did Chris kiss that bride.

Snap.

Everyone cheered and threw rice and they made their way back down the aisle together.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear as I stood to follow the congregation to the middle of garden where the reception would be held. As people seated themselves, I took several snapshots, hoping to find a familiar face. I saw Dan conversing with some of his friends and made my way toward his table. He caught my eye and smiled, waving me over. I took a seat right beside him and he pulled me in for a hug. "How's the photographing coming along?"

"Pretty well, actually. I've gotten a lot of good shots. I just hope the bride likes them."

"I'm sure she will. You are pretty freaking amazing." I smiled cheesily and he poked my nose.

The sound of someone clinking a glass echoed through the area, and I saw Chris stand up on a platform. "Hello everyone. I have a few announcements to make. First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming out and supporting me and Eliza in our marriage." He looked down at her lovingly and she mouthed something incoherently back to him. "I'd like to make a toast to my wife in fact. These past three years of knowing each other has been absolutely fantastic. There has not been one moment where I wished I had better than her because she is honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, Eliza."

"I love you too!" She shouted back tearily as her bridesmaids cooed over her.

"And I'd also like to propose a toast to Dan Howell, Phil Lester, and PJ Liguori. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you mates. You've been the best friends a chap could ask for, and if it wasn't for you three, I never would have met the love of my life. You dragged me out of a dark and lonely place, and I am so grateful for all three of you. Thank you." At that moment, the three boys found it appropriate to pummel Chris. I laughed at their dorkiness, standing to take more pictures. Snap, snap, snap, snap.

I made my way over to the refreshment table, pouring myself a cup of punch as everyone made their way to the dance floor. Several young boys were running around chasing and shooting each other with paper bow and arrows. I smiled and snapped a picture of the boys, thinking of my own little brother at home. Drew. It hit me then how much I truly missed my brother. I walked down a small path out of the way of the rest of the festivities, sitting on the ground and letting a tear spill down my cheek.

A rustling sound startled, and I furiously rubbed at my eyes to dry them. A familiar ebony-haired boy stepped into the clearing.

"Hey Lucy! What's goin' on?"

I looked at him for a moment then burst into tears.

Alarmed, he came over to me, pulling me into a hug. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. What's wrong?"

I pulled back from him. "I just r-really m-miss my b-brother."

His mouth formed an 'O' shape. "It's been a long time, huh?"

I shook my head, wiping a tear from my eye. "Before I came to London, Drew was really my only friend." I cleared my throat before continuing, steadying my voice. "Once I'd found out that he had been diagnosed with cancer, I pledged to spend every second with him that I could."

"Because you weren't sure when the last second you would have with him would be..."

I looked up at him, nodding. "And being away from him so long just really scares me."

"I understand. Everything's going to be okay though. I pinky promise." He smiled a crooked smile, holding his pinky out to me. I wrapped my smallest digit around his, and he pulled me up. Music from the dance floor wafted through to our little hideout, a song called The Scientist. Phil began dancing dorkily as he did in nearly all of his videos. I laughed. "Dance with me!"

I shook my head no.

"Fine. I'll just dance by you." And he did just that, dancing strangely around me in circles. The tears coming from eyes were from laughter this time, and he grabbed a hold of my wrist, pulling me close and wrapping his arms around my waist. I gasped, not used to the contact, and hesitantly wrapped my arms around his neck. And for the first time in a long time, I felt whole.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: For the record, instead of studying for my final in Spanish class today, I wrote this for you lovelies. Christmas present to you! :D

Chapter 8

Two months had passed since my first day in England, and Dan and Phil's apartment felt more like home to me than my own apartment. I was beginning to grow closer to Phil, but I spent most of my time with Dan. On this day in particular, I planned on going ice skating with Dan because he'd never actually been before. I slipped on my black Toms and grabbed my scarf, crossing the hall to Dan's apartment. To my surprise, Phil opened the door. He stood in the doorway, covered in flour. I cocked my brow at him. He looked down at himself, replying, "Long story."

I laughed. "Okay then. Dan in there?"

"Yeah. Projectile vomiting.." He turned pale and I grimaced.

"Should we...ask if he needs anything?"

His eyes widened. "Bad idea. I tried. He screamed at me to go...um...screw myself... But not so nice."

"Oh. Well...would you like to go ice skating with me?"

"Anything to get out of this house."

The day before, I'd searched for a local ice rink in London that wasn't being used for lessons. I'd managed to find one open to the public for the day. As we stepped into the icy dome, the smell of freshly-polished ice and sweat from practice wafted through the air. A few younger girls were working on their technique, but other than that,next to no one was actually skating. This wasn't too surprisingly considering most people don't want to skate around in a coat in the middle of August, but I didn't care. I'd missed skating too much to pass up this opportunity. Phil located a changing room, and as I waited for him, I laced up my skates. The white boots were a little faded and a bit snug, but I didn't mind. I slid on my old blades, still almost new from my last competition. After securing my skates, I made my way out to the rink, starting wobbly at first but gaining balance as well as speed as I continued to skate. I even felt brave enough to attempt one of my old tricks. I built up speed and executed a perfect axle jump, landing gracefully. I hadn't realized that my eyes had been closed until I opened them. I looked to my left, seeing Phil staring with his jaw dropped. I giggled, gliding over to him.

"How did you even...?"

"I used to be a figure skater."

"Did not see that one coming."

I gave him a once-over, noticing his apparel. Dark blue sock cap, polar bear jumper, white gloves. "Nice jumper."

"Thanks! Wait..."

I laughed. "C'mon. Let's skate." I grabbed his hand, but he pulled away, looking embarrassed.

"I've never ice skated before."

"That's okay. It's easy."

"Says Olympic champion figure skating purple-haired girl."

"Pleeeeaaaase?"

He sighed, taking my hand. "Fine."

We started out slowly until he got his footing. "Okay, it's just like regular skating but with blades, so you'll move your feet the same way. He began to skate with my help, slowly but surely, staring at his feet the entire time. "Look at me."

"Huh?" He looked up confused.

"You're staring at your feet. Don't think so much about it. Just...skate." So he looked up. He was actually doing pretty well for a beginner, and we picked up speed. I circled around behind him, supporting him by his elbow and then fully letting go. "You're doing it Phil!"

He turned his head to give me a thumbs up, running straight into a wall. I raced over to him, kneeling down beside him. "Phil?" He looked pale and his eyes stayed shut. I lightly patted his face, trying to get him to come to. He then smiled mischievously, grabbing my hand and flipping me over. He straddled and tickled me and I shrieked. "Phil, s-stop it!" I managed to choke out. He relented, bent down close to my face, trailed my jawline with his finger, and...licked my nose.

"Did you just...lick my nose?"

"Maaaaaaybe..."

"Why?"

"It looked cold." He shrugged as if it were obvious.

"So you licked it?"

"Mhm." He nodded his head like a bobble head, pawing at my face and meowing.

"Get off me, you weirdo1" He laughed and helped me up.

"Let's go get some coffee. It's freezing."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Got some free time during exams so I wrote for you guys! 3

Chapter 9

It was the last day in August and it was (of course) raining in the good old town of London. I was laying upside down on he couch, my feet straight up in the air, staring at Dan and Phil's television set. Dan was taking yet another one of his god-awfully long showers (at least forty-five minutes long). Phil was in the kitchen making Last day of August cookies as he called them. He began humming what I made out to be Toxic by Britney Spears. I lazily began singing along to the tune as he made his way over to the couch with the cookies.

"Baby can't ya see I'm callin? A guy like yooou should wear a waarniiin'. It's dangeroooous, I'm falliiiiin'." At that presice moment, I slid off the couch headfirst, tumbling over and just laying there.

"Are you okay?"

"Mmph." I mumbled.

Phil grabbed onto my arm, pulling at it. "Eat cookies! I never make cookies!"

Reluctantly, I got up and took a seat by Phil on the couch. He offered me an interestingly decorated cookie and I shoved the whole thing into my mouth.

Eyes wide, he asked, "Everything okay?"

"I'm so tired….and I didn't think I'd ever say this because I'm in freaking London, but there's nothing to doooo."

"If you get this way every time it rains, you're going to have a long year," he chuckled. An idea seemed to cross his face and he jumped up. "Wanna play Guitar Hero?"

"You have Guitar Hero?!" I then thought about what I'd just said, realizing that Dan had mention that he had about ten guitars. "Oh my gosh. Duh. Of course you have Guitar Hero. Yeah, I'd like to."

Phil turned on the game console and grabbed two controllers, handing one to me. I positioned the neck of the guitar in my right hand. Phil looked at me, puzzled. "You left-handed?"

"Mhm. Have been my whole life."

"Hmm. Dan is, too. Cool. So whatcha wanna play."

I pondered this thought and finally came up with an answer. "Something from Origin of Symmetry."

Phil again looked at me, this time in surprise. "You like Muse?"

"Are you kidding? I LOVE Muse! I was so upset when my mom told me I wasn't allowed to go to the Origin of Symmetry concert where they played the entire album."

He smiled widely at that. "I was there."

My jaw dropped. "What?! I'm so jealous right now! Was it beautiful? Was it everything you could've ever asked for?"

He laughed. "It was absolutely amazing! We actually caught some video footage of it if you'd like to check it out later."

I smiled. "Sounds great. But first, I gotta kick your butt at Guitar Hero."

"Plug In Baby!" Phil shouted, laughed at his own joke. I couldn't help but laugh along.

So, Phil totally creamed me, but only because I let him. He looked like he was having so much fun, and in that moment, he was the happiest I'd seen him. So I let him totally blow me out of the water, but not so much that he would suspect anything. After the song was finished and he was declared the winner, he jumped up and down in victory. "I won! I never win! Dan always beats me!"

"Guess you're a better player than I am." I smiled at his child-like celebration.

He settled down a bit, smiling and shaking my hand. "It was a good game, my lady." I blushed at the contact. Wait…..what?

"You guys are playing Guitar Hero without me?" Phil and I turned to see Dan in nothing but a towel, pouting. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Get dressed and then you can join us, silly." At this, his face brightened up and he hurried down the hall to his room to get dressed.

"Want to have another go before he gets back in here? He dresses even slower than he showers."

I giggled. "Bring it on!"

A/N: I know this was short, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I like all my chapters to have meaning, and this one does, but it's mostly a filler chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. (:


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Alright soldier. Your mission is simple," Dan said in his manliest American accent. "You're in the middle of the maze. Your goal is to eat all of the yellow dots. See those spirits. You're gonna wanna attack them from behind or else they'll consume you. Also in this maze? Four sets of cherries, one in each corner. Eat those, and you become invulnerable but only for fifteen seconds. You can use this power to attack the spirits from any angle. Are you ready?"

I saluted Dan. "Sir, yes sir!"

"Best of luck to you soldier. I believe in you."

I clutched the controller like it was the only thing keeping me alive. I maneuvered my way through the maze cleverly, making sure to steer clear of the ghosts. I consumed the last yellow orb, ending the game. "Victory!" I shouted, jumping up from my position on Dan's floor. It was a rainy day and Phil was tutoring a neighborhood boy so Dan and I decided we'd spend the day playing video games. We'd already ripped our way through several missions on Skyrim, Halo 2, and Portal. I had made the suggestion that we play something less mind-numbing and violent. We had torn through Dan and Phil's collection of video games seven time before finding an old-school Nintendo version of Pac-man. We then scrounged around the house until we finally found his Nintendo. I'd just completed the first round in one attempt.

"That was intense," Dan commented. "Like more intense than battling a snarling ogre in Skyrim."

"Right?" I sat back down, laying my head in Dan's lap. He immediately took to playing with my hair. I yawned.

"Rainy days make me feel soooo sleepy. I just want to drink cocoa and sleep."

"So do it," I replied. "Who's stopping you?"

"You."

I looked at him quizzically.

"I wouldn't be a very entertaining host if I slept, now would I?"

"Yeah. probably not."

"Plus I don't trust you. You'd probably all over my face with permanent pen."

I laughed. "Yeah probably."

It fell silent. Dan playing with my hair was soothing, and I found my eyes fluttering closed.

After a few seconds, I felt pressure, warmth. I opened my eyes to find Dan...kissing me. His soft lips fit almost perfectly with mine, and the kiss was gentle. Gentle but wrong. For some reason, though, I continued to let him kiss me. Maybe because I was lonely. Maybe because it was comforting. In any case, I let him kiss me. He pulled away, looking at me for a second and finally saying, "Nope. Nothing."

"Yeah, we could never be more than friends."

He looked a tad guilty. "Sorry..."

"It's okay. We were both wondering."

The he started to laugh, first normally, then uncontrollably. His obscure laughter caused me to join in with him. When we were left with nothing but to gasp for air, he said, "We are such weird people."

"It's why we make perfect friends."

He sat there for a minute, then, "Thanks for not totally freaking out."

"No big deal. It's nice to have some clarity."

The phone began ringing. "I'll get it!" Phil shouted from the front room. Dan turned to me, a mischievous smile painted on his face.

"Soldier!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Your next mission is Mission: Innuendo. You will pick up the phone located in this room. Listen very carefully to the conversation. Your goal is to wait for a mild suggestive-sounding sentence. once you hear one, you must insert the word 'naked' at the end. Are you up for this mission soldier?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Best of luck to you, soldier. I believe in you."

I picked up the phone, making sure not to breathe heavily and listened.

"You know I can't." Phil's voice.

"But I miss you...as much as it pains me to say that." A woman's voice. My stomach drops.

"I miss you, too. But I can't stand to see my family right now. The only one in Manchester that likes me right now is you."

"We can just spend time together then."

"Can't risk it." A pause. "Hey, you should come visit London."

"Would your friends be okay with this?"

"Yeah totally! They really want to meet you!"

Another pause. "You haven't told them about me, have you?"

"No."

"Phil!"

"I'm sorry, I just...I figured with the whole situation that it would be better to just not tell, you know?"

What is Phil not telling us?

"They'll have to know sometime."

Sigh. "Maybe. But seriously, you really should come visit."

"I might sometime soon, but for right now, I've gotta go. I love you.'

And then Phil uttered four words that for some reason upset me. "I love you, too."

Click.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"This is so unfair."

"I made us two cookies each. How's that unfair?"

"You have two chocolate chip cookies. I have one chocolate chip and one oatmeal raisin." I made a face at the last two words.

Phil pulled a sad little kid face. "I'm sorry! I ran out of chocolate chips."

"So you thought I wouldn't notice?"

"Yeah..."

I burst into laughter. "Oh, Phil.."

He looked at me baffled. "You're- you're not mad?"

"No! They're just cookies. But I love to see you squirm." I smiled mischievously.

"Evil..."

"I'll go get some milk."  
I opened the fridge to find pretty much everything but the milk carton. I shut the door dramatically, whipping around to face Phil. "We're out of milk."

Dan walked in at that precise moment, acting as the sound effects. "Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUN!"

Phil jumped up. "Cookies without milk?! Why that's...preposterous!"

"Unspeakable!" I added.

"Unspeakable!" Dan echoed two octaves higher than his normal voice.

"This. Is. Serious." Phil grabbed the door handle, but I stopped him.

"Wait!" I grabbed his jacket, tossing it to him. "Don't forget your cape!"

He slung the jacket around his shoulders. 'Thanks Robin. I'm off!" He opened the door, then stopped. "Oh, hi."

A woman with ginger hair, a small frame, and striking blue eyes entered the apartment. "Where are you off to?" She queried.

"Off to save the world- err...I mean, buy some milk."

The girl giggled. She couldn't be older than twenty-five. "Yup. Still haven't changed a bit." Where had I heard this voice before?

Dan cleared his throat. "Um, would you like something to drink?"

"Oh yes please. Some white wine if you've any."

Then it clicked. The girl from the telephone call. My heart sank. I should've known Phil would have a girlfriend.

"So how's Manchester?" Phil asked as the two took a seat on the sofa.

"Oh, you know. Good old Manchester. Rainy as ever."

Phil laughed. "Of course. How's Edmond?"

The phone-call woman frowned. "Still awfully ill. But he's been receiving treatment regularly, so should see some improvement in a week or so."

"That's wonderful." Phil smiled. I winced. The smile this woman I didn't even know loved.

Dan walked into the living room, handed the woman a glass of wine, and took a seat on a chair opposite the sofa. She thanked Dan, and I saw this as an opportunity to join the congregation. Phil smiled at us, then it dawned on him. "Oh my gosh. I'm the worst mate ever. Amy, this is Dan and Lucy. Guys, this is my Aunt Amy."

What? Dan and I looked at each other in complete shock.

Amy stood up to shake our hands, so we stood too. "So this is the almighty danisnotonfire." Dan nodded. "And you must be his girlfriend, yeah?"

Dan and I looked at each other. "Um, no," we said simultaneously.

"Then you're Phil's girl?"

Phil blushed and so did I. "Um, no Amy. Lucy is just our neighborly friend." Just a neighborly friend? Really?

"Really? If I were you, dear, and I lived across the hall from two well fit boys like like these two, I would flirt like there's no tomorrow." I blushed an even deeper red.

Phil cleared his throat. "Um, would you like to set your things up in my room, Amy?"

Amy turned to Phil. "Oh, yes. Thank you. I'll just be a moment."

After she left the room, Dan spoke first. "She's staying with us?"

"My aunt's a really lonely woman. Plus, she hasn't seen me in well over two years. she's nice, I promise."

Dan sighed. "Alright, then. Since she's family."

They both turned to me as if to ask for my permission. "What? It's not my apartment.

"But you're here all the time," Dan interjected. Phil nodded in agreement.

"Who am I to reject family? As long as she doesn't try to set me up with either of you, I'm fine with it."

So that was that. Amy was staying with us.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry that I've waited so long to upload again. I've had major block and I really want to do my best for you guys. I also somehow sliced my finger on a cat food can and could not type for forever. And I just all-around suck at remembering important things. So hopefully you enjoy this chapter. I definitely enjoyed writing it. (:

Chapter 12

"Lucy," a gruff voice whispered. I stirred, squeezing my eyes shut tighter, wanting to return to dreamland. Then, a hand shaking me. "Lucy, wake up." I opened my eyes to see Phil knelt down beside me, hair ruffled.

"What's wrong, Phil?"

"Come here. Come lay down." He grabbed my hand, helping me up and leading me to a more comfortable sleeping area. I sunk into the warmth as he wrapped a blanket around me, drifting off to sleep...

I rubbed my eyes, sitting up from my place on the sofa. The living room was frigid so I wrapped the blanket tighter around my frame.

"Morning, Luce." I turned to see Dan standing in the kitchen in only sweatpants, holding a cup of coffee in his hands.

I smiled. "Morning, love," I said, mimicking his accent.

He swatted at my arm playfully. "I do NOT sound like that." His face changed. "Awh."

I looked at him quizzically and he pointed behind me. There lay Phil, wrapped up in a blanket much too short for someone of his height. I walked over to him, sticking my finger in his ear. He jumped up.

"Wha-Lucy!"

I laughed. "Get up goober!" I lent him a hand up. "Thank you, by the way."

"You looked cold so, yeah. Ohmygosh. Are those pancakes?!" His eyes grew wide as saucers. I turned toward the kitchen again and there sat Dan, half a pancake stuffed in his mouth. He grinned guiltily.

I ran towards the breakfast bar, nearly tripping over my own two feet and Phil followed me. We each grabbed a plate and dug in. "Is this...melted Malteser syrup?!" Phil questioned. Dan merely nodded his head, attempting to guzzle down some milk and stuff another heavenly pancake in his mouth at the same time.

"Morning kids!" We all turned to see a beaming Aunt Amy. "So, I see you're enjoying the breakfast I made."  
We dropped our utensils simultaneously and bowed down before the breakfast goddess.

"Oh, breakfast goddess of deliciousness!" Phil yelled out. "Thank you so much fun this bountiful harvest of Malteser pancakes!" Dan and I nodded our heads and Amy belly laughed louder than I'd ever heard anyone laugh.

"Thank you children! I'm glad you're pleased. Now how's about we go catch a film?"

At the suggestion, Phil and I shouted, "Monsters, Inc!"

Dan giggled and pointed at us, yelling, "Jinx! You owe me a cola!"

"Hey! That's not fair! You can only say jinx if you were part of the jinx!"

"But I _was _part of the jinx, Phillip! I just saw it!"

"Now, now, stop your quarreling and let's go enjoy an afternoon out."

And with that, we followed Amy out the door and into a taxi cab. We all sat restlessly in our seats, and I'm sure the grouchy cabbie didn't appreciate us. Thankfully, Amy was smart enough to make some small talk with the man.

Out of nowhere, Phil sang out, "We're off to see the Monsteeerrrss!" and Dan joined in with, "The wonderful Monsters of Iiiiiinc!"

By this time, I had joined in giggling. "Because, because, because, because, becaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuusssssss sseeeeeee!"

And Phil finished with, "BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THEY DOES! DOODOODOODOOLOOLOODOOLOODOOL OODOOLOO...DOO...LOO...doo."

We all burst into a fit of laughter at Phil's solo, and thank goodness we had pulled up to the cinema, because if he hadn't, I was sure the cabbie would've kicked us to the curb.

Amy bought our tickets and the four of us rushed up to the concession stand. It all looked so delicious! So many bright colors and delicious smells. I wanted so badly to snap a photo, but I didn't think the moody teenage boy behind the counter would appreciate that. Dan was mesmerized by the Maltesers (of course), Phil was spazzing over Space Gummies, and I was practically pleading for the extra buttery popcorn. We all ordered snacks as well as our overly sugary drinks and made our way to Cinema 3.

We had arrived early and the movie wouldn't start for another thirty minutes, so we all found ways to keep ourselves occupied. Dan, being Dan, feel asleep instantly, while Amy took to crocheting...whatever she was crocheting. I pulled my camera from my bag and started snapping pictures. Snap! Beautiful theatre. Snap! Sleeping Dan! Snap! Videoing Phil. I let my camera drop to my lap.

"Phiil."

"Everyone say hiiiiiiii to Lucy! Hi Lucy!" He waved cutely at me, so I smiled and waved back.

"Hello, fellow Phillions! Nice to finally meet you! I apologize for my spotty hair. This boy here," I pointed to Phil, " made me promise not to dye it again."

Phil turned the camera back onto him, making the ultimate pouty face. "But we wuv your blonde hair!"

I sighed. "Fine. I'll succumb to your whim."

"Yay! Victory dance!" Phil began to wobble back and forth, his signature everything dance. I couldn't help but laugh. Then, the previews for the movie started up. "Oops! Movie's starting! Gotta go!" He then commenced to rawr at and "eat" his camera. Dan twitched awake at the volume of the previews and we all sat back, ready to enjoy the film.

About twenty minutes into the masterpiece that is Monsters, Inc., I heard a soft whimper. I looked over to see Dan lamenting over his already demolished Maltesers. It didn't appear that he wanted to get up any time soon and I knew he loved popcorn, so I offered him a bit of my snack. His face instantly brightened up, and he took the gift with a mouthed 'Thank you'.

About a half hour later, I felt something on my forearm. I looked down to see a gummy space man making his way down to my knuckles. I gave Phil an odd look and he just smiled and continued down my arm. The motion tickled and I accidentally let out a shriek which gained me a chorus of "Shhhhhh!", the loudest being Dan's. Phil and I ducked our heads down, and he continued down my arm, all the way to my fingers. He hooked his pinkie in mine and pulled my hand up, snatching the gummy from his hand into his mouth and settling my hand back down. I tried to pull my arm away, but he tugged on my pinkie, interlacing all of his fingers with mine. This sent a tingling sensation down my spine, and I gasped a little. Phil smiled at my reaction, and we stayed in the same position for the remainder of the movie.

"Again, again! Let's watch it again!" Dan shouted as we made our out of the cinema and into what now fading sunlight.

"Maybe tomorrow, Daniel," Amy chuckled.

"Phil had released my hand before we had left the theatre, but we were walking extremely close together.

"Alright now, kids. Group picture!" Amy got her camera ready and Dan and Phil squeezed in on either side of me and I wrapped my arms around the two. Just as Amy snapped the picture, Phil turned his head and kissed my cheek.

I was going to need this picture on my wall.

A/N: Aaaaaaand, that's it! Not quite as long as I wanted it to be, but I worked long and hard on it instead of working on my research paper that's due Monday. :P Yeah, I love you guys. I hope you still love me! And I hope this chapter makes up for my absence. Feel free to comment in that devilishly handsome box below. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_And you're as cute as button. The things you do sure are somethin'. Are you runnin' out of breath from runnin' through my head all night?_

I sat in front of my laptop, editing pictures, but mostly scrolling through Tumblr. Vintage blogs were my inspiration, and I loved finding new ones. I'd much rather go shopping for vintage items, but because I live in London, a deluge never ceased to exist. The pitter patter outside was comforting, so I only left one earphone in as I scrolled.

_You make me happy whether you know it or not._

Ooh! Vintage wedding dress! The lace roses were absolutely perfect. I'd love to own a dress like that one day.

_Oh, darling, I love you so. If you asked me for my heart, there's no way that I'll say no._

Heehee. Funny kitty, rolling around...

_ If you can wait 'til I get home, then I swear to you that we can make this last._

My stomach gurgled. Time for food.

_I love you one, a-two, a three-sh-pause._

I skidded into my kitchen, wondering what to make. I searched through the cupboards to find...nothing. I sighed in frustration. What to make? I checked the fridge. Nothing but pickled fish (why did I even BUY that?) and milk. I looked through the cupboards once more. Noth-wait! Cupcake batter! Yes! Cupcakes, here I come!

I preheated the oven accordingly and began folding, NOT whisking, the batter, giggling as I remembered the Halloween Brownie Graveyard video. Being the impatient person I am,I took a fingerful of the batter from the bowl and licked it. Mmmmmmm. Strawberry. I suddenly had a craving for music again. I sat my bowl down and ran into my room to grab my phone.

NEW TEXT MESSAGE

Dan Howell

Hey, Luce! Check out Phil's live show! Just trust me.

Puzzled, I returned to the kitchen to turn the oven off and then back to my room. I typed in the url for YouNow, and sure enough, Phil was doing a live show. I clicked watch.

"Alright, guys! So hopefully by this time, Lucy has gotten Dan's message and is watching. Dan?"

Dan appeared on-screen, showing my reply. "Yep, she's on guys."

"Okay, well here we go!" His Mario voice. How I loved it. "Alright Lucy, Dan says you're watching, so listen carefully. First, you might want to switch to your phone, because you'll be going mobile. I'll give you some time to do that."

I quickly closed out of the window on my laptop and opened it back up on my phone.

"You're quick with technology, so if I know you, you're already up and running on your phone." I grinned. "Well, then. We are off. Go ahead and head down to the coffee shop you love so much. Ask for Bennie. Once you talk to him, have him text me."

I slipped a coat and rain boots on and was out the door and down the street to the coffee shop I visited every morning before exploring London. Sure enough, my good friend Bennie was there with a fancily wrapped package of vanilla biscotti, my favorite. "Here ya are, love! You deserve the best!" I thanked him and waited for Phil's next instruction.

"Looks like you received the biscotti. Yay! Okay, next destination. You know that abandoned alleyway you always tell Dan about? The one that's off limits? Visit it and find Anna."

The alleyway was halfway across town! I sucked in all the warmth I could before running out into the frigid downpour outside. I finally found the alleyway, and in it stood a young girl about my age. She greeted me with a daisy, my favorite flower. "This alleyway is yours to use any time, just let me know when you're heading over."

"Thank you very much!"

"Good luck!"

"Seems that you found Anna. Great! Final destination. Visit your favorite pond. Look for the one-spotted duck. That's all. The duck will tell you what to do from there."

Was Phil crazy?! Ducks can't talk! Nevertheless, I followed his directions. I spotted the duck and it surprisingly let me approach it. Around its neck was a note tied to a string. I untied it from the duck and attempted to read the sopping wet mess.

_"Go to the chapel. Don't worry though. You're not getting married." _

I looked up to see a small chapel glowing on the other side of the pond. I jogged, trying not to slip in the mud as I made my way towards the building.

Once I stepped in, I gasped. It was beautiful! Twinkling lights were hanging from the ceiling, tables were set up, a delicious aroma was wafting through the air. I walked further into the building to find Phil.

"Phil, what is all this?"

"Your birthday present." He smiled brightly.

"My what?"

"It's your birthday."

How could I have forgotten my own birthday? No wonder I was craving cupcakes.

"There are some people here to see you." Phil took my hand and led me to a table filled with...

My family. My family was here. In London. My dad, my mom, even Drew. They all waved at me.

I completely broke down.

I captured up in a sea of hugs and I love yous by my parents. All I could do was blubber I love yous back. Once I pulled away from the hug, I gently wrapped my arms around my brother.

"How are you even here, Drew?"

"I got the okay from my Doctor Qoreshi." He beamed up at me, tears streaming down his face. "I really missed you, Luce."

"I missed you, too Andrew." I pulled him into another hug, kissing his forehead.

It turns out Dan, Chris, and PJ had bee invited too which I was super psyched about. Phil doesn't really know how to cook, so he made us all his gourmet mac n' cheese and we finished it all off with some wonderfully baked strawberry shortcake. The rest of the night I spent talking with my family. They would be leaving the next morning because one night was all the risk they could take with Andrew right now. I understood, but I was saddened, so I talked with them for hours and hours. Mom got a double raise at the pharmacy which was incredible since had been looking bad when I'd left. Dad finally finished a book he was writing and was in the process of publishing it. And best of all, Drew's tumor was shrinking was overall a fantastic night. Then it came time for my family to return to their hotel until their flight would take off. I kiss them all goodbye and promised to write them soon. As the taxi took them away, I stood in the doorway, tears streaming down my face.

From behind me, I could feel the boys' presence so I wiped my tears away and turned to them. They all stood there, smiling at me genuinely. I began crying once again, and Chris was the first to hug me, then Peej. Then Dan planted a kiss on my head. Then finally, Phil.

"So, what did you think?"

"You boys are amazing. Phil, _you _are amazing. I didn't even remember it was my birthday, and you've made it the best birthday ever."

"I couldn't have done it without the help of those three boys." He gestured with his thumb to the other three-fourths of the Fantastic Foursome. I once again started tearing up.

"You guys are just so sweet. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Then Phil cut in. "You have no idea how much you mean to me."

"How-how much do I mean to you Phil?"

Phil inched closer, taking my hand. "Well, I think I...you see..."

"Oh just ask her out already!" Dan shouted and the other guys giggled.

"Lucy...um, will you...will you be my girlfriend?"

I smiled, planting a light kiss on his lips. "Yes, Phil. Yes."

A/N: Hello my lovelies! Ahh! I so wasn't planning on doing this tonight, but it all just came to me and begged to be written down, so here you are! Love you all!


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